Tennis player returns home

It might have taken a year, but sophomore Zach Held said he finally feels he belongs. After spending his freshman year at the University of Michigan, the Indianapolis native transferred to IU, and is now a key member of the men's tennis team.\n"He'll bring a lot to the program," coach Ken Hydinger said. "He's an honest, solid person, which is nice to bring into the program."\nHeld was recruited out of North Central High School by IU, but opted for Michigan. He finished his season with a 0.667 singles winning percentage and a doubles winning percentage of 0.524. \nHe said the decision to transfer came over the summer, and was not largely related to tennis.\n"I wanted to come home," Held said. "I wanted to be with all of my friends and my fraternity. It's where I belong."\nHis teammates said they are glad that he transferred.\n"Zach's got a fiery personality," senior Ian Arons said. "He's fit in real well. This team is closer than Michigan."\nThe team should be better, too. Last year IU finished third in the Big Ten at 7-3, slightly better than Michigan's 6-4. But on his own account, Held said he feels this team is much stronger than the one in Ann Arbor. \n"There is more character here," Held said. "There are more guys willing to put in extra effort. I can just tell we have a solid team."\nHis teammates said they hope Held can lead the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten title since 1964. As a sophomore, they seld Held brings a sense of leadership.\n"His presence makes you more confident," Arons said. "You can always count on him for a boost of energy."\nHis attitude also reflects his style of play. Hydinger describes him as an "aggressive baseliner," and a player who covers a lot of the court.\nWhile Held said he is very happy to be at IU, he has had a bit of trouble adjusting to Hydinger's coaching style.\n"We do a lot more conditioning and a lot more running than I was used to," Held said. "Our program is a lot more structured here, which is taking some time to get used to.\n"Coach has a very hands-on, in your face way of coaching here. At U of M my coach was very laid back."\nHeld said he felt IU was home. His brothers, Andy and David, played competitively for IU, and he has a family tradition of tennis and many high school friends at IU. But he did have to say goodbye to everyone he had met in Ann Arbor.\n"I had some close friends there," he said, "and it's hard to leave, but there are a lot of things here that I want to be a part of"